Texas Archives

Biden Budget Touches All the Bases

Episode 288

March 10, 2023

Very little in the proposed budget released by the Biden administration is likely to become law, particularly with Republicans in charge of the U.S. House. Still, the document is an important statement of the president’s policy priorities, and it’s clear health programs are among those he feels are important. Meanwhile, five women who were denied abortions when their pregnancies threatened their lives are suing Texas. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the two latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” features. Both were about families facing unexpected bills following childbirth.

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Girls in Texas Could Get Birth Control at Federal Clinics, Until a Christian Father Objected

A Donald Trump-appointed federal judge agreed that even the possibility that the father’s daughters might access contraception without his permission violated the tenants of his Christian faith.

By Sarah Varney

March 8, 2023

A photo shows an IUD resting on a surface decorated with a grid pattern.

For Young People on Medicare, a Hysterectomy Sometimes Is More Affordable Than Birth Control

While Medicare was designed as health insurance for those 65 and older, it also covers people with disabilities who are young enough to still get pregnant. Yet they often struggle to get their birth control covered and end up with large medical bills — or instead opt for hysterectomies or tubal ligations, which Medicare sometimes will cover.

By Gina Jiménez

March 7, 2023

A photo shows a woman conversing speaking with colleagues inside a hospital. Two employees are wearing scrubs.

Struggling to Survive, the First Rural Hospitals Line Up for New Federal Lifeline

Hospitals in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma are among the first to apply for a new rural hospital payment model that shifts the focus of services away from overnight stays to outpatient and emergency care. Still, experts say the law needs to be amended to provide the right mix of care for rural communities.

By Sarah Jane Tribble

March 6, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

March Medicaid Madness

Episode 287

March 2, 2023

President Joe Biden and Republicans in Congress spent last month sparring over whether to shield Medicare and Social Security from budget cuts — leading some to wonder if Medicaid was on the table instead. Biden and Democrats say no, but some Republicans seem eager to trim federal spending on the health program for Americans with low incomes. And ready or not, artificial intelligence is coming to medical care. Benefits, as well as unintended consequences, are likely. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Rachel Cohrs of STAT News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more.

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NYC Makes Clear Its Intent to Lead on Abortion Access

Mayor Eric Adams’ announcement this year to provide abortion pills free of charge at four of New York’s sexual health clinics is the city’s latest move on abortion access. Other jurisdictions are also taking steps.

By Michelle Andrews

Feb. 28, 2023

A photo shows a box of Mifepristone pills.

One Texas Judge Will Decide Fate of Abortion Pill Used by Millions of American Women

“What happens in Texas doesn't stay in Texas,” warns an abortion rights advocate bracing for a district judge’s ruling on whether the abortion pill mifepristone was properly authorized by the FDA. His decision could force the medication off the U.S. market.

By Sarah Varney

Feb. 24, 2023

A digital illustration of a Black person's hand writing the chemical structure of imidazolidinyl urea on a bathroom mirror with pink lipstick.

States Seek Crackdown on Toxic Ingredients in Cosmetics to Close Gaps in Federal Oversight

Washington state regulators found formaldehyde, lead, and arsenic in lipstick, powder foundations, skin lotions, and hair products marketed to and popular with women of color. Now legislators there are seeking to ban the products and, like at least a dozen other states, make up for lax federal rules.

By Michael Scaturro

Feb. 23, 2023

A photo shows Rodney Boblitt standing on a shoreline with sun low in the sky.

Cleanup Workers Got Sick After Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. They Want BP to Pay.

After the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2020, Rodney Boblitt's job was to patrol a 14-mile stretch of coastline in the Florida Panhandle looking for signs of oil washing ashore. Today, the 54-year-old is among thousands of other cleanup workers who are experiencing health issues and suing BP. But proving their health conditions were caused by the oil has been challenging.

By Christopher O’Donnell, Tampa Bay Times and Max Chesnes, Tampa Bay Times

Feb. 21, 2023

A Law Was Meant to Free Sick or Aging Inmates. Instead, Some Are Left to Die in Prison.

The First Step Act was supposed to help free terminally ill and aging federal inmates who pose little or no threat to public safety. But while petitions for compassionate release skyrocketed during the pandemic, judges denied most requests.

By Fred Clasen-Kelly

Feb. 21, 2023

A photo shows the roof of the U.S. Capitol as seen through a skylight in its interior.

After Staying Away During Pandemic, Doctors Return to Lobby Congress

Hundreds of physicians came to Washington this week to lobby Congress about their “recovery plan” for physicians, which includes a Medicare pay boost and an end to some frustrating insurance company requirements.

By Phil Galewitz

Feb. 17, 2023

An illustration shows tuberculosis bacteria from a microscope overlayed on top of a diagram of lungs.

As Covid Grabbed the World’s Attention, Texas’ Efforts to Control TB Slipped

Responding to covid has taken so much attention and energy that some public health workers believe it pushed tuberculosis off people’s radar.

By Colleen DeGuzman

Feb. 16, 2023

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

Some Addiction Treatment Centers Turn Big Profits by Scaling Back Care

Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

By Renuka Rayasam and Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Jan. 31, 2023

Abortion Debate Ramps Up in States as Congress Deadlocks

Abortion is a top issue for state lawmakers meeting for their first full sessions since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

By Julie Rovner

Jan. 23, 2023

A photo shows an orthopedist showing an x-ray to a patient.

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

More Orthopedic Physicians Sell Out to Private Equity Firms, Raising Alarms About Costs and Quality

While some doctors seem eager for a huge payoff, others are warily watching what happens when private equity firms take charge of orthopedic practices.

By Harris Meyer

Jan. 6, 2023

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Health Spending? Only Congress Knows

Top negotiators in Congress have agreed to a framework for government spending into next year, but there are details to iron out before a vote — such as the scheduled Medicare payment cuts that have providers worried. Also, the Biden administration reopens its program allowing Americans to request free covid-19 home tests, as hopes for pandemic preparedness measures from Congress dim. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Rebecca Adams of KHN join KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these topics and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.

Dec. 15, 2022

A photo shows John Lites posing for a photo outdoors. He's standing by a fence.

Mass Shootings Reopen the Debate Over Whether Crime Scene Photos Prompt Change or Trauma

After almost every mass shooting, a debate is renewed over whether to publish the photos of the carnage the guns have inflicted.

By Lauren Sausser

Dec. 15, 2022

A photo shows petri dishes arranged in a row over scans of DNA and RNA.

Patients for Profit: How Private Equity Hijacked Health Care

The Business of Clinical Trials Is Booming. Private Equity Has Taken Notice.

Private equity-backed Headlands Research heralded its covid-19 vaccine trials as a chance to boost participation among diverse populations, then it shuttered multiple sites that conducted them.

By Rachana Pradhan

Dec. 2, 2022

A photo illustration shows four images separated by bars. The first image is of money and a Medicare card, the second is an older man sitting in a chair, the third is a closeup of money, the fourth is of a spreadsheet of overpayments totalling over $8 million.

Audits — Hidden Until Now — Reveal Millions in Medicare Advantage Overcharges

Taxpayers had to foot the bills for care that should have cost far less, according to records released after KHN filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. The government may seek to recover up to $650 million as a result.

By Fred Schulte and Holly K. Hacker

Nov. 21, 2022

How Optimism Can Close the Medicaid Coverage Gap

Low-income residents in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid are in a tough spot: They don’t qualify for the subsidies that people with slightly higher incomes get to buy marketplace plans because of a glitch in the federal health law. But a court decision last year makes it easier for them to make good-faith estimates of a pay increase, and there is no financial penalty if they don’t hit that figure.

By Phil Galewitz and Daniel Chang

Nov. 16, 2022

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